The Marching Illini (MI) is the marching band of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Marching Illini is an organization which annually includes approximately 375 students enrolled in the University of Illinois. Part of the College of Fine and Applied Arts and the School of Music, the Marching Illini represent virtually every college, discipline, and major on the University's diverse Urbana-Champaign campus.

The band primarily performs before, during, and after University of Illinois home football games. The band also performs an indoor concert at the Assembly Hall featuring special lighting effects, performances by individual sections, and slightly pithy comic routines. Other performances include a drill for the Illini Marching Festival, halftime performance for the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, halftime performances at postseason bowl games, and an annual away performance at the home football game of another Big Ten school. The MI does not typically perform for parades other than marching to and from the stadium for home games, the annual Homecoming parade, and when marching to and from Foellinger Auditorium where they play several outdoor concerts for University events. In addition the Marching Illini have performed at the 1992, 1995, 1998, 2008, 2014, and 2018 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland and the 2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music at the University of Illinois houses a collection of University Band recordings. The audio recordings consists of reel-to-reel tapes of performances and recording sessions from 1940-1987.[1]

Instrumentation of the Marching Illini is based upon the composition of a typical concert band, but modified in several ways to support outdoor performance. Piccolos are used instead of flutes. Mellophones replace the [horns]. A larger-than-usual section of metal sousaphones adds a deeper low brass sound, not to mention visual interest. The band has a higher-than-usual proportion of low- and mid-range brass instruments (baritone, trombone, sousaphone, and mellophone) and the complete woodwind section that allows the band to play traditional concert band repertoire (unlike all-brass marching bands). An auxiliary color guard and female dance squad (dubbed the "Illinettes") contribute another visual element to the band's performances.

The band performs in a style common to other marching bands of the Big Ten collegiate athletic conference. While the band prides itself on developing innovations in marching, its style is somewhat conservative when compared to other marching bands. The band move among precise drill formations (unlike East Coast scramble bands) and typically remain in a symmetric arrangement about the 50-yard line in abstract patterns (contrast with drum and bugle corps, who ordinarily feature a much greater breadth of formations). The drill style of the band is a necessity since the band performs an entirely new show for every home football game; thus the formations, while considerably complex, must be efficiently memorized by the ensemble.

Professor Barry L. Houser was named as Visiting Assistant Director of Bands and Conductor of Athletics Bands (including Director of the Marching Illini and Basketball Band) in July 2011. Professor Houser served as Director of the Marching Panthers and Basketball Band at Eastern Illinois University while also serving as Acting Director of Bands at EIU from 2008 to 2011 after receiving a graduate degree from the University of Illinois. As a graduate student, Houser instructed with the Marching Illini as a Graduate Assistant, frequently conducting from the backfield podium during performances. Houser attended the University of Florida as an undergraduate and has been involved with the nationally renowned Smith-Walbridge Clinics for drum majors and marching bands with Director Emeritus of the Marching Illini Gary E. Smith. Houser now serves as Director and Head Clinician with Smith-Walbridge.[2]

Professor Barry L. Houser, director of the Marching Illini

Houser's immediate predecessor was Dr. Peter J. Griffin. He became the Assistant Director of Bands in 1994. During his tenure at Illinois, he served as Coordinator of Band Festivals and Assistant Director of the Marching Illini. Upon the resignation of Director Tom Caneva in 2006, Griffin was chosen as an interim replacement. Griffin was named as the permanent director in December 2006 and served in that position until May 2011, when he took the position of Chair of the Music Department at Elmhurst College.[3]

High school seniors planning to attend UI, transfer students, and current UI students are allowed to audition for the Marching Illini. Students must be accepted into the University before setting up an audition time. Since audition results are announced in early May, students must complete their audition by April 28. Auditions continue through the summer for open positions only. If a student desires to audition on multiple instruments (for instance, alto and tenor saxophone) they may sign up for multiple time slots.

Some positions, such as Illinettes, Illini Drumline, Marching Illini Colorguard, and drum majors, have earlier auditions. These positions are generally more competitive and may have a series of camps and auditions starting as early as January.

The traditional Marching Illini pregame show showcases many varieties of marching styles, and is designed to showcase the band's pride in the school, state, and country. The entire show, performed 17–24 minutes before the start of every home football game, consists of seven songs and is nearly 12 minutes in length. The pregame show remains consistent for each game and does not change unlike the halftime shows. Band members "peel" onto the field from both end zones populating the field from the end zone to the 50 yard line. To keep distance in between members, each student will hit the yard line at their assigned number - 1,3,5, or 7. While the stadium can't hear it, members scream out 1,3, 5, 7 each time they hit the yard line. Once all students were place, horns snapped to attention and the first note erupts in the stadium. During the Pregame Show, the Marching Illini forms the outline of the United States of America and the five point star. Designed for viewing from both sides of Memorial Stadium, the west side serves as the ‘home side’ of the two-sided pregame show. With the move of the student section and the "Block-I" to the north end of the stadium, the Marching Illini have reoriented their final set for William Tell to face north at the end of the show to play directly to the new student section.

The Three-In-One is a tradition forged in the early years of the band’s history from three distinct pieces of the University’s heritage. The Marching “ILLINI” formation was created by A.A. Harding and his assistants in the early 1920s, making it the oldest part of the Three-In-One. The marching drill for this formation originally consisted of a march down the field in a “Block I” formation, and a marching into the ILLINI formation once the band had marched back downfield. The present-day version of the Marching ILLINI is similar to the original, but is highlighted by an intricate countermarch that allows the band to form the ILLINI letter by letter as it marches back down the field.

Another important piece of the Three-In-One, Chief Illiniwek was a part of the tradition since 1926. The Chief appeared at the home football game against Pennsylvania that year, dancing to the newly-written “March of the Illini” before going to midfield to meet a Pennsylvania band member dressed up as a Quaker, and smoke a peace pipe. Chief Illiniwek’s dance is loosely patterned after Native American ceremonial fancy dance. The dance consists of two main parts, the downfield dance and the solo dance. The regalia worn by the Chief was purchased from Sioux Chief Frank Fools Crow in 1983; it is topped by a headdress of turkey feathers (in place of endangered eagle feathers). There have been 34 men who have portrayed the Chief, and one woman who appeared as Princess Illiniwek.

The musical portion of the Three-In-One consists of three distinct Illinois pieces: “Pride of the Illini,” “March of the Illini,” and “Hail to the Orange.” “Pride of the Illini,” written by Karl King with words by Ray Dvorak expressly for the Illinois Bands, was published in 1928. Harry Alford’s “March of the Illini” was also published in 1928, but was used during Chief Illinwek’s performance from the beginning in 1926. ″Hail to the Orange″ was written by Harold V. Hill with words by Howard R. Green in 1910. The three pieces were eventually combined into a medley and given the title, “Three-In-One.” The “Three-In-One” drill and music are an important part of the University’s heritage.

Chief Illiniwek was retired by the University of Illinois in 2007. The Chief last danced to the Three in One on February 21, 2007 at a men's basketball game. However, the Marching Illini continues to perform the Three in One at halftime of football games.

Recently, there have been calls to remove the music of the Three in One completely from performances. Stephen Kaufman, a professor at the University of Illinois and a longtime opponent of Chief Illiniwek, brought the issue up at a faculty meeting in October 2015. He asked Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson to take action and stop the Marching Illini from performing the Three in One at future events because of its link to Chief Illiniwek. Kaufman also threatened to approach the NCAA about the situation if no further action was taken. Wilson refused to take action on the matter.[4][5]

"Revised Entrance #3", originally based on the ″Governor′s March″ (1935) by Col. Armin F. Hand, the pregame opener and calling card of the Marching Illini, combines an opening fanfare with a march version of the Illinois state song. The band moves into dual U of I logos, and then transform into four arcs – two arcs facing each sideline. Sousaphones and percussion are centered between the arches, while the auxiliaries flank both sides of the band.“Patriotic Medley” follows, and the winds adjust to an outline of the United States, while the percussion form the state of Illinois with one cymbal player strategically placed in Champaign. At the climatic point of “God Bless America,” a dramatic high chair 4-count turn to the home stands accompanies a downward cascade in the music, and the crowd invariably applauds. After a short mark-time, the formation changes to a large rectangle. During “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” the rectangle compresses into a circle, pentagon, and finally a star, where the band halts and finishes the medley with the closing phrases of “America The Beautiful.”

Illinois Loyalty is the Illinois school song and was written by Thacher Howland Guild specifically for the university. It was first performed by the University Military Band in concert on March 3, 1906. As the only band at the university in 1906 the Military Band functioned as a marching, ceremonial and concert band.

Oskee Wow-Wow was written in 1910 by two students, Harold V. Hill (music) and Howard R. Green (words), and was copyrighted in 1911. It was intended as an entry for a skit contest. Oskee Wow-Wow is an invented phrase similar to other college cheers and yells of that period. The song is used as the Illinois fight song since Illinois Loyalty is not well-suited for rousing a crowd during a game. The University is somewhat unusual in this regard, as it is uncommon for a school to have a separate fight song and school song.

The Illinois Alma Mater, Hail to the Orange, also written in 1910 by Hill and Green is performed as part of Three in One at the end of each halftime performance. It is sung a cappella in 4-part harmony by the Marching Illini before the band is dismissed at the end of the post-game concert following each home game. This song is also used as the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity song "Hail to the Purple."

On 19 June 2014 the University Summer Band conducted by Linda Moorhouse played a tribute to traditional Illinois marches and songs and to the Marching Illini as part of the Twilight Concert series. Guest conductors were MI directors Gary Smith, Thomas Caneva and Barry Houser along with former band faculty family members Robert Hindsley, William Kisinger and Mark Duker. Former band member Dave Shaul was the announcer. The Illinois pieces played were:[6]
Cheer Illini (H.V. Hill & H.R. Green)
Entrance #3 (A.F. Hand, unrevised)
Glory of the Gridiron (H. Alford)
Hail to the Orange (Hill & Green)
Illini Fantasy 2006 (J. Curnow)
Illinois Loyalty (Guild)
Illinois March (E.F. Goldman/arr. Leidzen)
Illinois State Song (A. Johnston/arr. M. Hindsley)
March of the Illini (H. Alford)
Oskee Wow-Wow (Hill & Green)
Pride of the Illini (K. King)
Three-In-One (revised)
University of Illinois March (Sousa/ed. Keene)

The first marching band unit of record at the University in the fall of 1868 was a tenor drum played by Will A. Reiss, bass drum played by Will Crane and fife played by George H. Lyman. After Christmas these three were joined by several brass players who brought instruments from home. Following the University′s purchase of a set of brass instruments in 1870 sixteen band members petitioned the administration for a teacher. I.W. Colberg, a music teacher in Urbana, was hired to provide music lessons and marching drills for two years until the spring of 1873. As part of the Military Department the band provided music for battalion drills, chapel exercises and ceremonies.[7]

The University Cornet Band (brass band) played for the dedication of University Hall 10 December 1873.[8] This building, which was demolished in 1938, was home to the bands for many years until 1928. The north entrance, seen in the background of several band photos of the 1890s, survives as the Hallene Gateway at the southwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and Illinois Street in Urbana.

In 1893 the Military Band was invited to perform for two weeks at the World′s Columbian Exposition (world′s fair) in Chicago. Conducted by student leaders Charles Elder and Richard Sharpe, the band played concerts twice daily in the Illinois Building 9 June to 24 June. Soloists were William Sandford, euphonium; Charles Elder, clarinet; William Steele, cornet. The band members slept on cots on the top floor of the building.

New navy blue uniforms were purchased for the Military Band in 1894 with funds raised by the band and contributions from alumni. Until that time the band had worn the same gray uniforms as the military battalion with the addition of a few embellishments. The new uniforms were similar in style to those the band members had seen Sousa's Band wearing in Chicago at the Columbian Exposition.

The Marching Illini at the 2004 Marching Festival

The Marching Illini was the second band to ever be awarded the prestigious Louis Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy in 1983, after only the Michigan Marching Band. In addition to Rose Bowl appearances, the Marching Illini has performed at the All-American, Peach, Liberty, Citrus, Hall of Fame, John Hancock, Holiday, MicronPC.com, Texas, Sugar, Kraft Fight Hunger and Heart of Dallas Bowl games.

In addition to its performances, the University of Illinois Bands could claim the honor of holding the largest collection of original works and papers by John Philip Sousa, until 1994 when these items were transferred from the possession of the band to the university's archives, under the control of the University Library. These archives remain housed on the upper level of the Harding Band Building.

The Marching Illini can also lay claim to several firsts, which are listed on the band's official website. These include:[9]

Birthplace of the college concert band - first formal concert given on 3 May 1892, with performances as early as 6 June 1872 when the band played for the first University Commencement. Playing for Commencement ceremonies is the longest running tradition in University Bands.

First school song - Illinois Loyalty was first performed March 3, 1906

First college to use Sousaphones - upright bell model sousaphones were purchased in 1906–1907

First halftime show - in 1907 for the University of Chicago game

First to form school letters (Block I in parade)

First Homecoming - first celebrated on 15 October 1910

First Dad's Day - first celebrated in November, 1920

First Mom's Day - first celebrated in 1921

Performed at first football game broadcast on radio (band was heard on WGN experimental play-by-play broadcast, probably in 1924)

First to sing a cappella on the field - in the Quad Cities during a trip to Iowa in 1920

Chief Illiniwek made his first appearance in 1926

First student card section (Block I) formed in 1929

Referred to by John Philip Sousa as "World's Greatest College Band" in the 1920s

First band to have its own band building, the Harding Band Building, opened in 1957 on the site of the wooden frame building occupied by the bands from 3 April 1928 to 1956.

First to have a giant school flag

First to march mallets at the college level

First college marching band to release a compact disc ("The Marching Illini" in 1986)

First college band to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland in 1992; first non-Irish band ever to lead the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, in 2008 under the direction of Dr. Peter J. Griffin

First Band with a website – first advertised in April, 1994.

Performed at the first televised football game and the first football game televised in color.

First band to use field bugles in a field show (1913–14), thus making the Marching Illini the first drum and bugle corps

Debbie Soumar became the first female Drum Major of the Big Ten in 1977

^Information from the participants′ concert playlist (unpublished) and band parts.

^″The Band, from ′Way Back″ by T.E. Rickard in Illinois Alumni News, July 1933, p. 359. Rickard, Class of 1872, was an early band member.

^Dedicatory Exercises of the New University Building (1873, December 10). Cited in Peter James Griffin (2004), A History of the Illinois Industrial University/University of Illinois Band, 1867–1908. DEME dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, pp. 52, 53, 74.

1.
Marching band
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A marching band is a group in which instrumental musicians perform for entertainment, and prepare for a competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass instruments, woodwind instruments, percussion instruments, most marching bands wear some kind of uniform that includes the school or organizations colors, name or symbol. Most high school marching bands are accompanied by a colorguard, a group of performers, Marching bands are generally categorized by function, size, age, gender, instruments and by the style of show they perform. In addition to traditional parade performances, many marching bands also perform shows at special events like competitions. Increasingly, marching bands perform concerts that implement many songs, traditions. Band is a term for an instrumental group. The marching band originated with traveling musicians who performed together at festivals and it evolved and became more structured within the armies of early city-states, becoming the basis for the military band, from which the modern marching band emerged. As musicians became less important in directing the movement of troops on the battlefield and this intermediate stage led to the modern instrumentation and music for marching bands. Many military traditions survive in modern marching band, Bands that march in formation are often ordered to dress their ranks and cover down your file. They may be called to attention, and given such as about face. Uniforms of many marching bands still resemble military uniforms, in the United States, modern marching bands are most commonly associated with performing during American football games. The oldest American college marching band, the Notre Dame Marching Band, was founded in 1845 first performed at a game in 1887. Many American universities had bands before the twentieth century associated with military ROTC programs. Spotts had seen a flock of birds fly in a V formation, the first halftime show at an American football game was performed by the University of Illinois Marching Illini also in 1907 at a game against the University of Chicago. Another innovation that appeared at roughly the time as the field show. University fight songs are closely associated with a universitys band. Boston College claims the first fight song, For Boston, many more recognizable and popular fight songs are played by high schools across the country. During the 20th century, marching bands added pageantry elements, including baton twirlers, majorettes, dance lines and these bands are said to be corps-style bands

2.
State Farm Center
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State Farm Center, stylized as StateFarm Center, is a large dome-shaped indoor arena located in Champaign, Illinois, owned and operated by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The arena hosts games for the Illinois Fighting Illini mens basketball and womens basketball teams and it opened in 1963 and was known until 2013 as Assembly Hall until naming rights were acquired by State Farm Insurance as part of a major renovation project. State Farm Center opened as Assembly Hall on March 2,1963 and continues to attract attention for its design, from 1963–1965 Assembly Hall was the largest dome structure in North America until the opening of the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The roof is supported by 614 miles of one-quarter inch steel wire wrapped at the base of the dome under intensive pressure, the architect was Max Abramovitz, a University of Illinois alumnus. At the annual Paint the Hall Orange game, everyone in attendance would wear a shirt, resulting in an impressive. State Farm Center has hosted a variety of Illinois High School Association events and it has been the home of the state individual wrestling tournament since 1967. From 1963 to 1995, State Farm Center played host to the finals of the boys basketball tournament. From 1978 to 1995, it hosted the IHSA girls basketball tournament. State Farm Center is also the venue for the annual News-Gazette Broadway Series, which features popular musicals such as Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Rent, and Fiddler on the Roof. In the autumn of 2008, school officials, led by former Athletics Director Ron Guenther, in 2010 a decision was made to renovate rather than replace the building. The architectural firm AECOM has been selected and awarded a contract to design the renovation, surveys were sent out to I-Fund and season ticket holders to gauge demand for various premium seating options. The anticipated renovation cost is between $150 and $160 million, and construction would not start before spring of 2014, as part of the renovations, the naming rights to the arena were purchased by State Farm Insurance for $60 million over 30 years. The State Farm Center began renovations following the 2013–14 mens basketball season, additions of luxury suites, club/loge seats, and all new blue color seats are included in the renovation. In the luxury suites and club seats, there will be concessions where alcoholic beverages will allowed to be served as well as a buffet area. The total budget for the renovation was estimated at $169.5 million, the construction process did cause some conflicts with scheduled sporting events at the beginning of the 2016 fiscal year. The State Farm Centers first game was played on December 2, Kenney Gym located on the campus of the University of Illinois and is named after Harold E. Kenney. The arena opened in 1890 and was known as the Mens Gym Annex. Huff Hall opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s and it is named after George Huff, who was the schools athletic director from 1895 to 1935

3.
Sousaphone
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The sousaphone is a type of tuba designed to be easier to play than the concert tuba while standing or marching. It is widely employed in marching bands and various musical genres. Designed to fit around the body of the musician and supported by the left shoulder and it is useful in all types of bands that play outdoors, as it directs the sound forward, unlike a traditional upright tuba. The instrument is named after American bandmaster and composer John Philip Sousa, the first sousaphone was built by James Welsh Pepper in 1893 at the request of John Philip Sousa, who was dissatisfied with the hélicons in use by the United States Marine Band. Some sources credit C. G. Conn with its construction, Sousa wanted a tuba-like instrument that would send sound upward and over the band, much like a concert tuba. The new instrument had an oversized bell pointing straight up, rather than the bell of a normal hélicon. The sousaphone was initially developed as an instrument rather than for marching. Sousa wanted the new instrument for the band which he started after leaving the Marines. Sousa mainly used sousaphones built by C. G and its upright bell led to the instrument being dubbed a rain-catcher. Some versions of design allowed the bell to also rotate forward. This bell configuration remained the standard for decades and is the standard today. The instrument proved practical for marching, and by 1908 the United States Marine Band adopted it, versions with the characteristic extra 90° bend making a forward-facing bell were developed in the early 1900s. Early sousaphones had 22-inch-diameter bells, with 24-inch bells popular in the 1920s, from the mid-1930s onward, sousaphone bells have been standardized at a diameter of 26 inches. Some larger sousaphones were produced in limited quantities, the sousaphone is a valved brass instrument with the same tube length and musical range as other tubas. The sousaphones shape is such that the bell is above the tubists head, the valves are situated directly in front of the musician slightly above the waist and all of the weight rests on the left shoulder. The bell is normally detachable from the instrument body to facilitate transportation, except for the instruments general shape and appearance, the sousaphone is technically similar to a tuba. It has been noted that the tuba is a conical brass instrument. No valved, brass instrument can be conical, since the middle section containing the valves must be cylindrical

4.
Drum and bugle corps (modern)
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A modern drum and bugle corps, is a musical marching ensemble consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, synthesizers, and color guard. Typically operating as independent non-profit organizations, drum corps perform in competitions, parades, festivals, competitive drum corps participate in summer touring circuits, such as Drum Corps International and Drum Corps Associates. Corps prepare a new show each year, approximately 8–12 minutes in length, shows are performed on football fields and are judged in various musical and visual categories, or captions. Musical repertoires vary widely among corps and include symphonic, jazz, big band, contemporary, rock, wind band, vocal, Rap, Broadway, competitive junior corps usually spend between 10 and 15 weeks on tour over the summer, practicing and performing full-time. All-age and alumni corps have less demanding schedules, practicing and performing mostly on weekends, Drum and bugle corps stems from a rich American and Canadian military history, separate from other marching musical activities. Beginning after World War I through the 1970s, corps and competitions were often sponsored by the VFW, Scout troops, churches, the Royal Canadian Legion, owing to many of these groups roots, corps were traditionally militaristic. By the late 1960s, many corps wanted more creative freedom, some felt the prize-money structures, based on competitive placement, were not fairly compensating all corps for their appearances. Additionally, some felt the current judging rules were stifling musical and theatrical possibilities, at the peak of North American drum corps participation, several corps decided to unionize, as stated by Don Warren. They formed their own organizations, which led to the formation of DCA in 1965. By this time, many corps had already lost their church or community sponsors, at the same time costs for the increasingly complex field shows mounted and creative and instructional demands rose leading many competitive corps to falter and become inactive. By the late 1990s only a fraction of the corps existed in the 60s and 70s remained, although several new corps, some of which have become very successful. A common criticism of drum corps is that it has become too similar to marching band, a few corps still utilize the traditional G Bugle which is very rarely found in DCI marching units. The competitive season for drum corps is in the rather than fall, with auditions. A typical show usually revolves around one genre of music, or sometimes melds separate genres together, modern corps programs have become increasingly conceptual and programmatic, with overarching show themes rather than loosely related musical selections. Often, especially within classical selections, a single composers material is featured, Corps have performed virtually every genre of music that can be fit for on-field adaptation, including jazz, new age, classical, and rock music. It is becoming common to hear corps performing original music. The exclusive use of bell-front brass instrumentation is a musical element of drum corps. Throughout the years, the used in drum corps have evolved from true

5.
University of Florida
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The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university on a 2, 000-acre campus in Gainesville, Florida. It is a member of the State University System of Florida and traces its origins to 1853. The University is classified as a Research University with Very High Research by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, for 2017, U. S. News & World Report ranked Florida as the fourteenth best public university in the United States. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and it is the third largest Florida university by student population, and is the eighth largest single-campus university in the United States with 49,913 students enrolled for the fall 2012 semester. The University of Florida is home to sixteen colleges and more than 150 research centers. The University of Florida traces its origins to 1853, when the East Florida Seminary, on January 6,1853, Governor Thomas Brown signed a bill that provided public support for higher education in Florida. Gilbert Kingsbury was the first person to take advantage of the legislation, and established the East Florida Seminary, the East Florida Seminary was Floridas first state-supported institution of higher learning. James Henry Roper, an educator from North Carolina and a senator from Alachua County, had opened a school in Gainesville. In 1866, Roper offered his land and school to the State of Florida in exchange for the relocation of the East Florida Seminary to Gainesville, the second major precursor to the University of Florida was the Florida Agricultural College, established at Lake City by Jordan Probst in 1884. Florida Agricultural College became the states first land-grant college under the Morrill Act, in 1905, the Florida Legislature passed the Buckman Act, which consolidated the states publicly supported higher education institutions. The member of the legislature who wrote the act, Henry Holland Buckman, later became the namesake of Buckman Hall, the Buckman Act organized the State University System of Florida and created the Florida Board of Control to govern the system. The City of Gainesville, led by its Mayor William Reuben Thomas, on July 6,1905, the Board of Control selected Gainesville for the new university campus. Andrew Sledd, president of the pre-existing University of Florida at Lake City, was selected to be the first president of the new University of the State of Florida, architect William A. Edwards designed the first official campus buildings in the Collegiate Gothic style. Classes began on the new Gainesville campus on September 26,1906, in 1909, the schools name was simplified from the University of the State of Florida to the University of Florida. The alligator was incidentally chosen as the mascot in 1911, after a local vendor ordered. Murphree is the only University of Florida president honored with a statue on the campus, before this, only the summer semester was coeducational, to accommodate women teachers who wanted to further their education during the summer break. Lassie Goodbread-Black from Lake City became the first woman to enroll at the University of Florida, john J. Tigert became the third university president in 1928. By the end of the 1946–47 school year,954 men were enrolled at the Tallahassee Branch, the following semester, the Florida Legislature returned the Florida State College for Women to coeducational status and renamed it Florida State University

6.
John Philip Sousa
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John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known primarily for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of composition, he is known as The March King. Among his best-known marches are The Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, The Liberty Bell, The Thunderer, Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. His father enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868, after departing the band in 1875, Sousa learned to conduct. From 1880 until his death, he focused exclusively on conducting and he eventually rejoined the Marine Band and served there for 12 years as director. On leaving the Marine Band, Sousa organized his own band and he toured Europe and Australia and developed the sousaphone, a large brass instrument similar to the helicon and tuba. At the outbreak of World War I, Sousa was commissioned as a lieutenant commander, following his tenure, he returned to conduct the Sousa Band until his death in 1932. In the 1920s he was promoted to lieutenant commander in the naval reserve, Sousa started his music education by playing the violin as a pupil of John Esputa and George Felix Benkert for harmony and musical composition at the age of six. He was found to have absolute pitch, during his childhood, Sousa studied voice, violin, piano, flute, cornet, baritone horn, trombone, and alto horn. When Sousa was 13, his father, a trombonist in the Marine Band, several years long after serving his apprenticeship, Sousa joined a theatrical orchestra where he learned to conduct. He returned to the U. S. Marine Band as its head in 1880, Sousa led The Presidents Own band under five presidents from Rutherford B. Hayes to Benjamin Harrison. Sousas band played at two Inaugural Balls, those of James A. Garfield in 1881, and Benjamin Harrison in 1889 and he wanted a tuba that could sound upward and over the band whether its player was seated or marching. The sousaphone was re-created in 1898 by C. G. Conn and he organized The Sousa Band the year he left the Marine Band. The Sousa Band toured from 1892 to 1931, performing at 15,623 concerts both in America and around the world, including at the World Exposition in Paris, France and at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In Paris, the Sousa Band marched through the streets to the Arc de Triomphe – one of only eight parades the band marched in over its forty years, on December 30,1879, Sousa married Jane van Middlesworth Bellis. They had three children, John Philip, Jr. Jane Priscilla, and Helen, All were buried in the John Philip Sousa plot in the Congressional Cemetery. Wife Jane, daughters Jane Priscilla and Helen Abert joined the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1907 and their ancestor was Adam Bellis, who served under several different commands for the New Jersey troops in the American Revolutionary War. Late in his life, Sousa lived in Sands Point, New York, Sousa died of heart failure at the age of 77 on March 6,1932, in his room at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Reading, Pennsylvania

7.
Urbana, Illinois
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Urbana /ɜːrˈbænə/ is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 41,250 at the 2010 census, Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. Most of the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Urbana, the Urbana area was first settled in 1822, when it was called Big Grove. The creation of the new town was celebrated for the first time in July 4,1833, the first mills were founded c. 1838-50, and stores began opening beginning in 1834. The towns first church was built c.1840, with the Baptist Church following in 1855, the Presbyterian Church was founded in 1856. The citys first school was built in 1854, Urbana suffered a setback when the Chicago branch of the Illinois Central Railroad, which had been expected to pass through town, was instead laid down two miles west, where the land was flatter. The town of West Urbana grew up around the depot built there in 1854. Champaign-Urbana was selected as the site for a new agricultural school. Illinois Industrial University, which would evolve into the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a number of efforts to merge Urbana and Champaign have failed at the polls. On October 9,1871 a fire burned much of downtown Urbana, children playing with matches started the fire. Downtown Urbana is located southwest of the intersection of its two busiest streets, U. S.150 and U. S.45, most of Urbana lies south of I-74. There are three exits, Lincoln, Cunningham and University, the Lincoln exit is closest to the University of Illinois, while the Cunningham exit goes to downtown Urbana. The University exit goes to downtown Urbana as well as Illinois Route 130 to Philo, the Norfolk Southern operates an east to west line through Urbana. The NS line connects industries in eastern Urbana to the Norfolk Southern main line at Mansfield, Illinois, construction of the line was begun by the Danville, Urbana, Bloomington and Pekin Railroad. This short-lived entity became part of the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western Railway before the railroad was completed, as of the census of 2000, there were 36,395 people,14,327 households, and 6,217 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,468.3 people per square mile, there were 15,311 housing units at an average density of 1,459. 1/sq mi. The racial makeup of the city was 67. 01% White,14. 34% African American,0. 18% Native American,14. 24% Asian,0. 04% Pacific Islander,1. 76% from other races, and 2. 45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3. 54% of the population,36. 6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8. 1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older

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Champaign, Illinois
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Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The city is 135 miles south of Chicago,124 miles west of Indianapolis, Indiana, the United States Census Bureau estimates the city was home to 84,513 people as of July 1,2014. Champaign is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois, and the states fourth-most populous city outside of the Chicago metropolitan area, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign with its sister city of Urbana. Champaign is also the home of Parkland College which serves about 18,000 students during the academic year. Due to the university and a number of well known technology startup companies, it is referred to as the hub, or a significant landmark. Champaign houses offices for Abbott, Archer Daniels Midland, Caterpillar, Deere & Company, Dow Chemical Company, IBM, State Farm, and Intel all of which are Fortune 500 companies, and for Sony. Champaign was founded in 1855, when the Illinois Central Railroad laid its rail track two miles west of downtown Urbana, originally called West Urbana, it was renamed Champaign when it acquired a city charter in 1860. Both the city and county name were derived from Champaign County, during February 1969, Carl Perkins joined with Bob Dylan to write the song Champaign, Illinois, which Perkins released on his album On Top. The two Champaign, Illinois songs are not similar to other, except that Bob Dylan was involved in both of them. On September 22,1985, Champaign hosted the first Farm Aid concert at the University of Illinois Memorial Stadium, the concert drew a crowd of 80,000 people and raised over $7 million for American family farmers. In 2005, Champaign-Urbana was the location of the National Science Olympiad Tournament, the city also hosts the state Science Olympiad competition every year. The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign once again hosted the National competition on May 20–22,2010, in 2013, Champaign was rated fifth best place in the United States for a healthy work-life balance. According to the 2010 census, Champaign has an area of 22.457 square miles. Champaign is located on high ground, providing sources to the Kaskaskia River to the west. Downtown Champaign drains into Boneyard Creek, which feeds the Saline Branch of the Salt Fork Vermilion River, Champaign shares a border with the neighboring city of Urbana, together they are home to the University of Illinois. Champaign, Urbana, and the village of Savoy form the Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area also known as Champaign-Urbana. It may also be known as the Twin Cities or Chambana. The following diagram represents localities within a 35 miles radius of Champaign, the city has a humid continental climate, typical of the Midwestern United States, with hot summers and cold, moderately snowy winters

9.
UIUC College of Engineering
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The College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign was first established in 1868, and is considered one of the original units of the school. The presence of an engine on the Universitys seal is a good clue as to the importance of the engineering program to the University. The College of Engineering is located at the terminus of the University of Illinois occupying the Bardeen Quadrangle. Green Street almost perfectly divides the Engineering campus from the rest of the University, so engineers, Engineering Hall serves as the primary anchor point for the College of Engineering and houses administrative offices as well as academic facilities. Built in 1894, it is the oldest surviving building on the Engineering portion of campus and it was designed by George Bullard, a University alumnus as part of a University held architecture competition and is an example of the Renaissance Revival style of architecture. The Bardeen Quad is home to the Grainger Engineering Library, the largest Engineering Library in the world with over 260,000 physical volumes, the building itself cost nearly $30 million and has 135,000 square feet of floor space. It serves in excess of 1.5 million people annually, the College has the third highest per dollar research expenditure in the nation with over $202 million spent annually. The College is home to 26 research centers,10 major laboratories, in total the College employs 408 research faculty members,2,681 graduate researchers, and over 1,200 staff members. In addition to the program as a ranking in top five of Engineering schools. The Undergraduate programs in Civil Engineering, Agricultural & Biological Engineering, the Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Nuclear Engineering programs consistently rank within the top ten such programs in the nation. The graduate programs in Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, the faculty of the College of Engineering has earned many honors over the course of the Colleges prestigious career. Engineering Open House typically features over 250 student project exhibits, four design contests, appearances by local and national celebrities, entertainment, competitions for visitors, in 2002, Bill Nye was a featured guest at Engineering Open House. 94th Annual, March 14–15,2014 - Theme, Transform Your World 93rd Annual, March 8–09,2013 - Theme, Imagine the Impossible 92nd Annual, March 9–10,2012 - Theme, Dream

10.
Gies College of Business
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The College of Business is the business school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It offers programs in accountancy, business administration, and finance, starting from 2015, the College of Business is in partnership with Coursera to offer a list of massive open online courses and an online MBA program. The College was officially formed on April 27,1915 through a vote of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, the college began with three departments, Economics, Business Organization and Operation, and Transportation. The college underwent a reorganization which began in 1951. At the time, several faculty from economics wanted their department housed in the College of Liberal Arts, the proposal failed and the department stayed within the college until 2003 at which time it found a home in the College of LAS. In the same year, the changed its name to the College of Business. The College of Business maintains two campuses, one in Champaign, Illinois and one in Chicago, Illinois, the Champaign campus is located around the intersection of Gregory Street and Sixth Street. This is the current home of the College of Business, when the College was first formed, however, it occupied the Commerce Building, now the East half of the Administration Building on the Main Quad. The Commerce building, dedicated in 1913, was built at a cost of $100 thousand, the College currently occupies four buildings, David Kinley Hall, Wohlers Hall, The Survey Building, and the newly constructed Business Instructional Facility. This area is known as the Business Quad and is considered part of the South Campus, Wohlers Hall, formerly known as Commerce West was built in 1963. A naming gift of $6 million was provided by Albert H. the September 21 dedication highlighted technology enabled classrooms, a deans suite, a laboratory research suite, and a lecture hall. The Business Instructional Facility, approved by the UI Board of Trustees on July 14,2004, the new 153,900 sq ft building houses the Master of Business Administration program, the Undergraduate Affairs Program, and the Accountancy Program. The $62 million project, designed by architect Cesar Pelli, has green, the Chicago campus is located within the Illini Center on 200 S. Wacker Drive. The location puts the campus within the heart of the Chicago Loop, the center is across the street from the Sears Tower and across the Chicago River from Union Station. The faculty of the campus administer the colleges Executive MBA and M. S. of Taxation programs, the campus is not to be confused with the business school at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The two schools remain separate, distinctive entities, the College of Business houses three departments, accountancy, business administration, and finance. The three departments are independent in their administrative process. The Department of Accountancy was founded in 1953, the University offered courses in accounting before the creation of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Business